My views on "equality."

[EveWasFramed]

ablism - that's a new word for me! Thanks!

That's a Perfanism. lol

 

[ladyforsaken]

Damn, Rosebolt.

You make a lot of sense in your original post. Makes me reflect really.

 

[SophiaGrace]

Racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, ablism, etc.

ablism - that's a new word for me! Thanks!

Glad I was able to expand your vocabulary. It's probably something people aren't aware of unless they experience it directly.

 

[perfanoff]

No, I'm very aware even of my own ablism.

If I didn't have any -isms I'd yell at the guy collecting garbage for recycling from the dumpsters to come have a shower in my place. Prejudice keeps me from providing something that is free for me, but prejudice also keeps me secure.

 

[Naleena]

Bump

 

[BigJim]

I have never personally agreed with equality..... It's a Jewish leftist prank on pro New world order to brainwash more of our innocent people to believe in their rubbish...

We live in a country where equality is a requirement... But in my opinion its a load of rubbish,,... Never agreed with equality,,

Why... BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME,,,

 

[ajdass1]

This makes me angry. If you think equality is rubbish maybe it's because you've never had to be afraid for your life because someone thinks you're subhuman just because you're DIFFERENT. Of course, nobody in this country can hold an LGBT appreciation rally because it's ILLEGAL and chances are we'd all go to jail.

And when you say something like "We can never have true equality" - why, because of human nature? I don't want true equality. I just want people like me to not have to worry about getting assaulted, or fired, or murdered or raped just for being who they are, every day, all around the world.

So honestly if you think people like me ought to live in fear for our lives every day just because "WE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME" then you obviously don't have any perspective on the issue at all.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

What is funny is that, say I got rich tomorrow, I would suddenly have a better "status" than I have.

Say I inherit Bill Gates' money, and he inherits my circumstances. Not likely, but just say it happens. I suddenly would become a hotshot celebrity, and he would become a nothing. Of course, he developed Windows, so he's a smart guy who got his money by honest methods, but it's very true.

What is Paris Hilton famous for? All these famous people, who are famous for their looks or their daddies, not actual talent. I could write a song that is ten times better than Justin Bieber ever could, but the reason why he would outsell my song is simply because he has the looks and the image. He has tons of tween and teen girls drooling over him. Try that when he's 30, he won't be able to sell off of THAT image.

We are not equal beings. Someone is going to be better looking than you, richer than you, smarter than you, etc. The best thing you can do is just realize that the world is unfair, and not let it go to your head, because nobody gets out alive.

 

[VanillaCreme]

I took "equality" meaning as human beings; Not monetary or social status. Just because someone has more money than I do, wouldn't mean that they're better than me by any means. Not only do I put more value and worth on myself, but there's more to life than just gaining monetary wealth.

But good point, Leaning. It made me think a little, and thinking is the other half of the battle.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

Actually, in the real world people are judged by monetary and social status all the time.

I've had jobs since I was 20, and in the past 10 years, I've noticed that people who are "up the chain" are treated differently. Try working as the person scrubbing the floor. It is quite a difference from a different job, where you inventoried the stock, and your boss called you "sir."

It does make sense, though, because it matters a little bit more than race or gender. Whether you are a man or a woman, you can survive at a job. Whether or not you are black or white, you can survive at a job. Whether or not you have the possible training and skills necessary to complete that job, that means you will be higher on the food chain.

And Bill Gates is a lot smarter than me. He could run rings around me as a computer programmer.

 

[VanillaCreme]

Actually, in the real world people are judged by monetary and social status all the time.

...

And Bill Gates is a lot smarter than me. He could run rings around me as a computer programmer.

I don't disagree that it is that way, but that doesn't make it right. Just because I could talk to 100 people a day, that doesn't make me any better than someone who would only talk to one. We shouldn't judge someone based of social standings or monetary wealth, but sadly much of the world does.

Also, you assume that Gates is smarter than you simply because he made bank on his intelligence. Making money doesn't always make you smart, even the way he did. He had many people backing him up with plenty of ideas that he would have never thought of. He was just the one who was the face of it all. We'd be saying a different name had it been anyone else.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

Gates is a smart businessman.

I am sure that I could make money with, say, my music for example. However, I don't know how to market myself. I've always been a follower, I'm not a leader, and I wouldn't know where to start.

Someone like Gates, or Steve Jobs, made money by being smart businessmen. Facebook is essentially MySpace (or what MySpace was), but with an edge...and look at what happened to that. It's because it was marketed as the cool thing to do, and so people do it.

iPads, iPods, and iPhones and iMacs aren't really that different from the non-Apple brands, in terms of productivity and genuine product. The reason why people pay more for them is because they have a cool image. They pay twice the amount to ride the merry go round.

And I'm going off topic here...let's get back on topic.

 

[*Sammy*]

true equality cannot be realised in any human ecosystem. The only way to achieve equality is to get rid of all humans. As that is very unlikely to happen, equality will never be achieved.

Rosebolt you are a very smart person, and i agree with your last comment. I have often referred to Humans as the cancer of the earth when in talks with people around me. Equality will never exist because of things such as greed and jealousy, they make people do horrid things.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

Not all humans are cancerous, but some show the worst sides of humanity. The Westbro Baptist Church, for example.

 

[Ignis]

If you don't mind Rosebolt, I'd like to challenge your opinion on equality.

You've brought up some very good points and I actually agree that for the most part equality doesn't exist.
That DOESN'T mean people shouldn't fight to try and change things anyway. Equality is a man-made concept. Look at the animal world, there's a food chain with animals CLEARLY being better than others. Even in their own species one gender is superior to another. Look at the Black Widow spider for example, the female eats the male after mating. The Praying Mantis, where the same thing applies. In Lions, Males are the ones who hunt and are generally more vicious.
Equality cannot exist, with, or without humans. It just won't happen. If we weren't here, there would be some other dominant species that would suffer the same problem.

But why can't we TRY and make equality happen?
Why can't we do our best to make a world where everyone is on the same page? The same level?
Why not try and make the world a better place by bringing in equality? Everyone likes to feel equal. Everyone likes to feel as though they're not beneath another person.
What's the worst that could happen by all of us trying to make men and women equal? Ensure that Black people are treated the same as White people, treated the same as Asian people. That no matter what religion you worship, you're looked upon with the same eyes by people no matter what.

I agree that equality is improbable to achieve. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

 

[Rosebolt]

Ignis, i don't mind at all. You too, raise valid points, to which i mostly disagree.

I'm fine with people trying to achieve equality, but i don't think the human race is smart enough to do that.

You have a group of, lets say gay people, that want to viewed as equal to straigth people. At the same time, these "unequal" people, vote for a random man to be a "president" of a country, therefore standing above the "citizens" which causes inequality.

That's just one example, people don't realise such things, and cannot truly comprehend a concept of equality.

Equality is a vital, if not fundamental part of true social harmony. The utopic ideal. We are still in small groups fighting each other, while we should be fighting together to eliminate the rotten roots.

So we should still try to fight for equality? Yes, i suppose. But no, humans aren't smart enough to do that, in my opinion.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

Equality is a mask.

Like I said, there will always be someone prettier, smarter, and better off than you. That doesn't mean you can't take what YOU are, and own it, though.

People who don't walk in my shoes don't know what it's like. But everyone has an opinion, and plenty of people want to express that opinion on judging me. I can also judge them. It's not right to judge, it's even biblically condemned, but that doesn't mean that people don't have the right to have their own opinions.

 

[Ignis]

Ignis, i don't mind at all. You too, raise valid points, to which i mostly disagree.

I'm fine with people trying to achieve equality, but i don't think the human race is smart enough to do that.

You have a group of, lets say gay people, that want to viewed as equal to straigth people. At the same time, these "unequal" people, vote for a random man to be a "president" of a country, therefore standing above the "citizens" which causes inequality.

That's just one example, people don't realise such things, and cannot truly comprehend a concept of equality.

Equality is a vital, if not fundamental part of true social harmony. The utopic ideal. We are still in small groups fighting each other, while we should be fighting together to eliminate the rotten roots.

So we should still try to fight for equality? Yes, i suppose. But no, humans aren't smart enough to do that, in my opinion.

Oh, I agree that we as a race can never achieve equality. It's a man-made concept, but it's one that's far beyond our reach. Equality as a concept however is definitely worth pursuing even if we have no hope of reaching it.

The accepted idea behind equality is that everyone regardless of age, gender, race, sex, or any other possible difference are all treated exactly the same. All opinions are treated as equal by everyone. Essentially that every person is treated exactly the same.
It is in this case that Communism looks great on paper. It's a concept that attempts to make anything and everything equal. People earn the same wages no matter the job, peoples standings in society are the same. In practice however, Communism falls on it's face because we as humans suffer from cardinal sins like greed, envy, and so on.

The idea of CHASING equality however, more or less attempts to straighten the human race out and ensure that we don't start treating others badly, that we don't put ourselves above others. It shows that we can be humble and we can accept others.
Equality gives us a set of morals if you will, a way to interact and treat others in a positive manner.

So yeah, equality is unobtainable. If everyone was equal, if everything was equal... We'd fall to pieces in our current state. But we can try our best to follow the principle behind equality. Treating other human beings as equal. Respecting them... Or on the total flipside, everyone treating each other like they're absolutely worthless and believing none of them deserve to exist.
But I'd like to stay positive on that, and believe that equality can be used in a positive means to better society. It's unobtainable, much like a dream but it's already HAD a positive effect on society.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

I've just seen a horrifying display of racism against a black girl on a Facebook page.

I try to consider myself liberal, but I can't believe the amount of racism that still exists today. They throw hatred at Beyonce because she is black, and call her ugly (Beyonce is far from ugly.) I see Republicans in Congress blaming Reagan for "letting the Hispanic vote for Obama happen" (I don't see how this is not only offensive to our first black president, but also offensive to Mexicans.) And so on.

I'm privileged, I suppose, because I am a straight, white American, and don't have to deal with these stereotypes. But it horrifies me when friends and people I know have to go through it. Look at people's hearts, not the color of their skin or their sexuality. We are all people.